Recent meetings in Astana focused on the drive to digitalise transport, with IRU invited to share knowledge and best practices on electronic consignment notes (e-CMR) and digital TIR.
Showcasing cost savings, increased transparency and improved security, IRU met with national trade and logistics experts as a critical first step towards the roll-out of digital transport in Kazakhstan.
With the upcoming launch of China’s TIR operations and with Kazakhstan sitting at the geographic crossroad between Asia and Europe, the country is concentrating on digitising its transport systems to fully integrate local customs and transport operations into China’s One Belt One Road project.
IRU also proposed a collaboration with Kazakh public and private sector experts to run national pilot projects using digital TIR and e-CMR, which was favourably received by the Kazakh authorities.
Chaired by the First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Askar Mamin, participants at the meeting included IRU representative Dmitry Cheltsov, IRU Kazakh member KAZATO, along with government officials, the business community and international organisations working in the transport sector.